NBC has been airing the holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life for years and it’s time once again for the tradition on Christmas Eve, December 24, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
If you don’t have cable, here’s how you can watch SHOW X streaming online for free:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of NBC (live in most markets) and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which you can use for free with a seven-day trial right here:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the show live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 250 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch most new shows on-demand within three days (and sometimes longer) of their conclusion, even if you don’t record them.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of NBC (live in most markets) and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which you can try out for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the show live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV comes with both its extensive on-demand library (which includes most shows after they air) and 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of NBC (live in select markets) and 40-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” bundle. It comes with a free 3-day trial, but if you bypass that, you can get it for $20 for the first month (normally $30), and get Showtime, Starz and Epix included for free:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the show live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 10 hours of cloud DVR.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Preview
It’s a Wonderful Life stars Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, an everyman in smalltown Bedford Falls whose big dreams of being an architect are set aside when his father dies and George has to take over the family’s Building and Loan.
Instead, it is George’s brother who goes off to fame and fortune. George settles down with Mary Hatch (Donna Reed) and has four children, becoming a friend and support system for nearly the entire town. At one point, however, the Building and Loan gets into some financial trouble due to Uncle Billy’s (Thomas Mitchell) forgetfulness and the dastardly machinations of town moneybags Henry Potter (Lionel Barrymore).
In his despair of ruining his family’s business and possibly facing jail time for fraud, George attempts suicide, thinking that he’s worth more dead than alive. His guardian angel, Clarence (Henry Travers), steps in to save him and show him what the world would have been like if George had never been born. Spoiler alert: It would have been awful. George realizes how many people his perceived small-time existence has affected over the years and he realizes how wealthy he really is.
As Clarence says, “No man is a failure who has friends.”
As George kisses his wife and hugs his children, the townspeople of Bedford Falls come rushing to his home to give their own money to help the Building and Loan keep afloat. It is a heartwarming ending to a holiday classic.
The film initially received mixed reviews from critics, but it did earn five Academy Award nominations — Best Picture, Best Director for Frank Capra, Best Actor for Stewart, Best Editing, and Best Sound Recording.
Over the years, it has become more well-regarded by critics as well. In 2000, renowned critic Roger Ebert wrote of It’s a Wonderful Life, “What is remarkable about It’s a Wonderful Life is how well it holds up over the years; it’s one of those ageless movies, like Casablanca or The Third Man, that improves with age.”
It’s a Wonderful Life airs Thursday, December 24 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
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How to Watch ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Online Without Cable